HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER: Ford vs. Grand Blanc in Division I semis

Birmingham Groves’ William Thompson (2) slides to kick the ball away from Costa Wells of Ford (15) just as Wells takes a shot on net in a regional championship game. (Macomb Daily photo by Nicholas Barry)

Ford’s soccer team was able to overcome De La Salle’s size, experience and quality athletes in the Falcons’ 1-0 district championship victory against the Pilots.

Ford was also able to handle Birmingham Groves’ 4-3-3 formation in the Falcons’ regional title game win -- another 1-0 decision.

Put those qualities together and you have a good idea of what Ford’s next opponent -- Grand Blanc -- brings to the table.

“Those are things we’ve seen before,” said Falcons first-year coach Teri Steinwascher, who will lead her team against the Bobcats in today’s state Division 1 semifinal at 6:30 p.m. at Lake Orion.

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“Now, whether we can handle both of them at the same time will be a good test for us.”

One of Steinwascher’s main concerns is Grand Blanc’s experience. The Bobcats are tournament-tested with 17 seniors on the 25-man roster. Two years ago, they reached the semifinals and lost 1-0 to Stevenson in a game that was decided in a shootout.

“I watched that game because my nephew was playing for Stevenson,” Steinwascher said. “Grand Blanc was very good. They were a better team than Stevenson and Bob (Stevenson coach Bob Mondoux) would even say that.

“I don’t know how similar that Grand Blanc team is to this one, but the seniors on this team were on that team. They have the experience of playing at this level.”

Ford and Grand Blanc have had similar seasons. Neither one dominated its respective league, but once the state tournament started neither one has been stopped.

Grand Blanc was 10-6-2 and finished second in its division of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association. Ford was 8-6-5 and finished fourth in the tough Macomb Area Conference Red Division.

Once the state tournament started, Grand Blanc found the scoring touch that had been missing all season. The Bobcats scored only 32 goals in 18 regular-season games, but they’ve found the back of the net 18 times in the five postseason matches.

Ford, on the other hand, hasn’t been scoring a lot of goals but the Falcons have notched timely ones and they’ve kept the ball out of their net. Senior goalkeeper Kyle Kline hasn’t allowed a goal in five tournament games.

Steinwascher knows that it won’t be easy to keep the Ford express rolling but most folks didn’t expect the Falcons to get past De La Salle or Groves, either.

“They’ve got tournament experience,” she said. “They’ve shown that they can come from behind, even late in games. And they’re bigger, way bigger than we are. They’re a well-organized, well-coached team.

“We’re going to have to be on our game from front to back. They have multiple kids who can score goals, although Dominic (Mastromatteo) is their guy. We have to be aware of him at all times and at the same time keep an eye on their other scorers.”

Grand Blanc trailed Rochester Stoney Creek 3-1 in its regional semifinal but the Bobcats came back to win 5-3 in double overtime. The Bobcats trailed Lake Orion 2-0 in the district final, took a 3-2 lead, saw the Dragons tie the score but got the game-winner with about a minute remaining.

There’s another factor that Ford -- and Grand Blanc -- will have to deal with.

The high, gusty winds that have whipped through the area the last two days could still have an effect on the game, although the forecast is for diminishing winds.

A windy day could mean trouble for a team that relies on long passes, while it might not affect a squad that uses more short passes in its attack.

“We do a little bit of both,” Steinwascher said. “With the wind in our face, we’ll keep the ball on the ground. If it’s at our back we’ll use the air more. We just can’t let the wind be a factor.”

The Lake Orion field is laid out in a north-south direction and the wind is expected to come from the south.

“I don’t know what philosophy I’d prefer, having the wind at our back for a half and in our face for a half or having it be neutral with both teams having to adjust to it,” Steinwascher said.

Ford has been building confidence during the last 2 1/2 weeks and the Falcons, whose seniors hadn’t won a state tournament game before this season, are becoming tournament-tested with close wins in every match.

“They believe in themselves,” Steinwascher said. “They’ve been able to step it up and play better. They’re able to work things out on the field and that all comes down to discipline. We have to play minute-to-minute. We can’t let a score break us down. They’re disciplined, focused and have a great attitude.”